Lawn trimmer



`(April 131-19236- 1,580,306 W. T. CROSS El' Alt;

LAWN TRIMMER Filed March 14, 1925 7' Y "nverbrs TLaCv-oss leclllarbcr Patented Apr. 13,*1926."

' UNITED sTATa-s i f application ma :auch 14,192@ rmi-amis,

To all whom z't concern.'

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. .LA

CRoss and FRED WV. BARBER, citizens of theI United States, residing at S ringfield, in the county of Windsor and tate of' Ver- 'mont, have invented new and useful Im.

provements in Lawn Trimmers, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to lawn trimmers adapted to trim grass close to obstructions, suchas walls, fences, curbs, posts, etc., the

.grass being inaccessible to lawn mowers de'- signed to trim in open or unobstructed spaces. One object of the invention is to provide,

' a lawn trimmer 'comprising a push-bar, a

cuttinggel'ement which includes a notched cutter fixed `to the push-bar, and a notched reciprocating cutter slidably connected with the fixed cutter, and improved mechanism of simple and effective construction, car` ried by the push-bar and manually oper# able to reciprocate the movable cutter.

Another object' is to permit the cutting element to be adjusted to and positively secured in various angular'positions relative tothe push-bar, the cutting element being operative in either of said positions.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificatione Figure 1 is a side view of a lawn'trimmery embodying the invention.

Figure'2 is a top planview'of the" same. Figures 3 and 14 are fragmentary views similar to portions `of? 4'Figure 2,'showing different adjustments of the cuttingy element., A A ,f

Figure' lis a fragmentaryrplan view', on a `larger scale, showin a portion of the fixed cutter and a'por-tlon of the carryinglarm to which the cutter is pivoted.

Fi ure 6 "is a fragmentary plan view,

showing by itself, a portion ofthe carrying-arm shown by Flgure 5. c

Figure 7 is a section on line 7--7 of Figune 5. v l

,The same. reference characters indicate the same .parts in all of the figures. 12 designates 'a push-bar, which and the pulle' ,in Qre adjastab e.

may be" of wood and of any desired length. Secured to one end of the push-bar, as hereinafter described, is a cutting element includin ay fixed notched cutter 13 and a f mova le notched cutter 14, slidably connected with 1 the fixed cutter by bolts15, to the throughpslots 16 fixed cutter and in the movable cutter.V

Thejarrangement isg'such that the'iiushbar 1s inclined and the; cutting element is yattached at the lowerie'nd of the push-bar and extends horizontally therefrom, asl

shown by -Figure-1,s whenthe mower' is in v operation. Y e c ush-ba carries improved manually 1 The contro ed operatin mechanism forreci rocatmg the movab e cutter14. Saidunecgamsm includes a crank-shaft 18, .journaled in bearingsin a bracket 19, and provided witha crank 20 (Figure Y1)flcpitman'21 v connecting the cranki with .a post 22, fixe to the movable cutter, a ylm'ver pulley- 23,

,fixed to the crank-shaft, "an upper Apulley 24, mounted on the upper epd portion of` the push-bar, lower Ll-guiding,pulleys 25,

bar, anda manuall movable flexible and' mounted onthe lower "portion o the ushor belt v26, runningon'said pulleys 23, 24

and 25.

T he band, which may be of any suitable flexible materia-l, such as wire cable, is

adapted to be moved alternately in op osite vdirections bv' the operator, and t us 'cause rotation ofl `thecrank-shaft .18,y and reciprocation of ,the A movable cutter. band is preferably provided with 'a hand grip 2?,

operator. n @Theupper pulle ,24de adjustablegngth- Ywise of vt erfpushari-to tension 26, and, 'is provided with` means whereby'it may be confined atany desired adjustment.

In this instance, the pulley 24 is rotatable 'on ag`stud28, passiglthrough, and slidable in, a' slot 29 (Figure'- 1), in .the push-bar,

and provided with 'a clamping :wing nutz 30,'adapted to be. set up to secure "the-'stud 'itipn'to which-they 31 designates a shoulder"rest, adapted to l bear: onthe underside of the'operators arm .,at its junction with" the body, totran'smity `pushing force tothe lush-bar.- The rest The y adapted to be grasped by the of the push-bar and is'fprovided wit means i' .whereby it may be securedin diierent osi- 'tions asindcatedfbylfull and dotted 'ines '..vf'

in Figur 1, according tothe height of the .opera`tcr,vv said means preferably :including suited to the requirements of the operator.

` positively locked,

As here shown, the handle is provided with a shank 36, extending through a longitudinal slot 37 in the push-bar and provided with a clamping wing nut 38, adapted to be set up against the push-bar.

The cuttin element is connected with the push-bar t(by means permitting said element to occupy either of the positions relative to the push-bar shown by Figures 2, 3 and 4, the cutting element being operative in either position.

Said means includes a carrying-arm 39, fixed to, and projecting horizontally forward from the lower end of the push-bar, and provided with an orifice 40 (Figure 6), a shank 41, formed on, and projecting from `the inner end of the fixed cutter 13, and

provided with an orifice 42 (Figure 7), and a clamping bolt 43 inserted in said orifices, and provided with a clampingl wing nut 44, adapted to be set up against t e shank 41.

Thel bolt 43 is in axial alinement with the crank-shaft 18, so that the cutting element may be swung on the bolt to either of the positions shown, when the nut 44 is loosened, without affecting the operativeness of the cutting element.

The carrying-arm 39 is provided with a circular series of sockets 46 (Figure 6), and the shank 41 is provided with two bosses 47, adapted to engage two of said sockets, as shown by Figure 7, the arrangement of the sockets and bosses being such that when the cutting element is in either of the positions shown, the bosses 47 are in engagementv with two of the sockets 46, the ena-gement being maintained by tightening t e nut 44, so that the cutting element is and prevented from swinging on the bolt.

49 designates a supporting wheel, journaled in a yoke 50, which is supported by a bracket 51, fixed tc the lower end portion of the push-bar, the wheel being arranged to support the cutting element above the ground, as shown by'Figure 1.

The supporting wheel projects rearwardly and the carrying-arm 39 projects forwardly from the push-bar. The crank shaft 18 may be driven by any suitable means controlled by the operator.

With the adjustment of the cutting element shown by Figure 2, grass can be trimmed under low--hanging shrubbery` more advantageously than with the adjustment shown by Figures 3 and 4. With the adjustment shown by Figure 3, the operator can cut behind obstacles such as shrubber posts, etc., by moving the trimmer back7 ward, the obstacle being between the cutting element and the operator.

With the adjustment Ashown byFigure 4, the operator can trim close to a wall by movlng the trimmer forward toward the wall.

We claim:

l. A lawn mower comprising an inclined push-bar, a supporting wheel connected with the lower end o the push-bar and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a forwardly project.- ing carrying armfixed to the lower end of the push-bar and supported above the 0round by the wheel, forwardly projecting bearings on the push-bar above the carrying- -arm, a cutting element composed of a fixed cutter and a movable cutter, the fixed cutter having a shank at its inner end, a clamping bolt pivotally connecting the shank with the carrying arm, arranged to permit horizontal adjustment of the cutting element, means being provided for positively securing the element to the carrying arm in different positions relative thereto, and mechanism for reciprocating the movable cutter including a crank-shaft journalled in said bearings on the push-bar, a pitman connecting the crank of said shaft with the movable cutter, and manually operable means carried by the push-bar for rotating the crank shaft, the bolt and the crank shaft being in alinement with each other, so that the said mechanism is operative when the cutting element is in any position to which it may be adjusted.

2. A lawn mower comprising an inclined push-bar, a supporting wheel connected with the lower end of the push-bar and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a forwardly projecting carrying arm fixed to the lower end of the push-bar and supported above the ground by the wheel, forwardly projecting bearings on the push-bar above the carrying arm, a cutting. element composed of a fixed cutter and a movable cutter, the fixed cutter having a shank at its inner end, a clamping bolt pivotally connecting the shank with the carrying arm, and arranged to permit horizontal adjustment of the cutting element, means being provided for positively securing the element to the carrying arm in different positions relative thereto, a 'crank shaft journaled in said bearings on the pushbar, and provided with a pulley, a pitman connecting the crank of said shaft with the movable cutter, an u )per pulley mounted on the upper portion of the push-bar, guiding pulleys mounted' on the lower end portion of the push-bar and a band running on said pulleys and having a handle whereby it may lbe manually moved to rotate the crank shaft,

said upper pulley being adjustable lengthwise of the push-bar to tension the band.

3. A lawn mower comprising an inclined push-bar, a supporting wheel connected with the lower end of the push-bar and (projectand depressions which are interlocked by ing rearwardly therefrom, a forwar ly pro-4 sald clamping pressure, and mechanism for jecting carrying arm fixed to the lower end of the push-bar and supported above the ground by the Wheel, forwardly projecting bearings on the push-bar above the carrying arm, a cutting element composed 'of a fixed cutter. and a movable cutter, the fixed cutter having a shank at its inner end, a clamping bolt pivot-ally connecting the shank with the carrying arm, and arranged to permit horizontal adjustment of the cutting element, said bolt being provided with means for exerting clamping pressure on the carrying arm and shank, and the said carrying arm and shank being provided with projections reciprocating the movable cutter including a crank shaft journaled in said bearings on the push-bar, a pitman connecting the crank of said shaft with the movable cutter, and manually operable means carried b the push-bar for rotating the crank sha t, the

olt and the crank shaft being in alinement with each other, so that the said mechanism is operative when the cutting element is in .any position to which it may be adjusted..

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

WILLIAM T. LA CROSS. FRED W. BARBER. 

